Sir Paul McCartney has revealed his favourite song and while it’s one many will recognise, it’s not one by The Beatles. The song in question is a 1930s classic performed by Fred Astaire.
In an interview, Sir Paul said: “One of my favourite songs because of its structure is Cheek To Cheek.”
Written by American songwriter Irving Berlin, the hit has stood the test of time, continuing to be well-known nearly 100 years later.
Speaking on his podcast McCartney: A Life In Lyrics, the musician told of how Cheek To Cheek inspired The Beatles’ hit Here, There and Everywhere.
He said: “I liked it very much before it starts off, ‘Heaven, I’m in heaven… then the middle eight, ‘Will carry me through to… heaven…’ It’s just like, yes!”
“The way it just resolves up its own tail I always found wonderful. And I think somebody said I do it in this.”
During the 1960s, Sir Paul’s songwriting developed rapidly – he was just 24 when Revolver was released.
Reflecting on Here, There and Everywhere, he added: “I like the fact that we think that we’re on a path on the Moors, and we think we’re going for a walk and then suddenly we’ve arrived where we’ve started.
“It’s not like we’ve gone around in a circle. It’s more magical than that – we’ve come to another beginning of the path.”
He went on to describe the song’s deeper meaning, adored by listeners around the world.
“It’s this trick where you’re suddenly where you were but it’s surprising – you’re where you were, but you’re not,” Sir Paul said.
“Because you can see back where you came from and you’re definitely not there. You’re at a new place, but it’s tricked you and it’s got the same scenery again.”
While The Beatles’ music evolved into pop over the years, it often carried echoes of earlier musical eras.
John Lennon once told Sir Paul it was the “best tune on the album,” and later described it in his 1980 Playboy interview as “one of my favourite songs of the Beatles.”